


Dragons Can Be Beaten, But Not Alone

by StandinShadow



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Fire Emblem Inspired AU, Homesick Hunk (Voltron), Homesick Lance (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron) Has Anxiety, Hunk and Keith and Lance (Voltron) Centric, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) Has Anxiety, Season/Series 05 Spoilers, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Team Bonding, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 09:36:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14017401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StandinShadow/pseuds/StandinShadow
Summary: Lance is a bow knight heading on his first mission to find and defeat the dragon Zarkon, suspicious that his team leader Shiro has lost his way and insecure about his place on the team. Hunk is a genius mage who wants to protect his friends, but he fears the journey ahead and the actions he might have to take on it. Myrmidon Keith wants to devote himself entirely to the war effort, but he's started to wonder if his belief that his life matters less than the mission has caused more harm for his friends than good.Together, along with their other friends, these three are going to go on the quest of a lifetime. Will their bonds with each other be enough to help each other grow into the heroes they all need to be, or will the dragon Zarkon triumph over them?Aka a Fire Emblem Shadows of Valentia and Fates inspired AU.





	Dragons Can Be Beaten, But Not Alone

  Lance moves his sword through the air, arm just a little too tight to be a good hit, the training statue barely moving backwards. That wasn’t anything like Shiro’s or … it wasn’t anything like Shiro’s, and that’s what matters. Lance needs to get better, needs to be as good at using this sword as he is at using his bow. Altea, and all of his friends and family, need him to be if this war is ever going to end. A few weeks ago, Lance would’ve thought he was being dramatic, but things have changed.

   The war between Altea and the nations in the Voltron coalition and the Galra Empire has gotten worse, more fractions breaking off on both sides and the dragon-God Zarkon wreaking more havoc on crops and rivers alike. If they don’t take him down soon, it won’t just be the war killing off men, it will be all of their dying livestock and vegetables too. They can all recover from a war, Lance believes that in his heart. He knows peace can overcome. Lance doesn’t know if they can all overcome dried up rivers and a famine, so they need to take down Zarkon and his witch Haggar fast.

  The dragon Zarkon wasn’t always like this, according to Allura’s butler and the Kingdom historian Coran. He used to be, if not kind, at least relatively fair. But times have changed, and like many dragons before him, Zarkon got corrupted from too much time in power. Normally dragon rulers change out every few years, but no one had risen up among the Galra to take his place. None of the dragons there were strong enough not to be killed by him, and the few that escaped were hidden among the Marmorans trying to recover their magic. Humanity has to take this war into their own hands. Lance does, even if it scares him.

  “Lance! Are you working on your swordsmanship? I have to say, you’re improving rapidly, your stance is almost as good as my father’s,” Allura calls and Lance turns on his heel to see his friend walking toward him, her long white hair in a loose braid. Lance grins over at her, raising an eyebrow at her pink armor, lightweight and fitted so she could move easily, but still protecting her from any big hits. She was their princess after all, can’t have her getting hurt even if she did finally convince Coran to let her come with them on their quest to defeat Zarkon and end this war.

  Allura’s never been one to sit by idly when she can be in the middle of the action.

  “Thank you Allura, but I think maybe you’re being a little too nice, your dad was pretty far ahead of me,” Lance murmurs with a low sigh, glancing down at his new broadsword with a sense of trepidation. He’d been excited when he’d been promoted to Bow Knight a few weeks ago, still is, because it shows that Shiro and the others have a lot of faith in him. Well, at least the others. Lately Lance doesn’t feel like Shiro has faith in _anything_. Either way though, it’s still a lot of pressure when Lance hasn’t even trained with any blades since he was a kid, let alone a giant sword.

  “My father was also much older than you at the height of his career,” Allura reminds him with a small smile, resting a hand across the edge of his blade for a moment. The expression on her face is fond, though Lance can see a hint of melancholy in her gaze, the edge of a memory there.

  “Not much,” Lance says with a quick shrug, because King Alfor had only been … far too young. Lance never met the man, lost in the war efforts before Lance was even five years old. Allura had only been a few years older. Allura looks away, biting her lip as she stares across the battlefield, as though remembering the clashing of swords and spears that ended her father’s life, that changed their kingdoms forever. Lance presses a hand against her shoulder, giving her a soft smile as he stares over at her. “Allura, I’m sorry -”

  “No, it’s quite all right. We have to move forward, there is a war to focus on,” Allura tells him in a tight voice, expression growing stern as she stares over at the horizon. She nods softly as she turns on her heel, back to the training area, one hand laced over her staff. Allura looks fierce and determined, blue eyes glinting in the bright sunlight. Lance thinks they should put her on a stamp, just like this.

  “Right, well, do you want to train together? Do some magic arrows?” Lance says, pointing back to the bag over his shoulder and wiggling his eyebrows. Lance and the others on their squad haven’t had much time to train together lately, between Lance having to learn how to use his sword, Allura’s magic growing at a rapid pace, Pidge helping her brother and dad settle back into the village again, Hunk working with Balmera to develop the shields protecting their mines, and Shiro … well, Shiro is different lately and that different doesn’t include being a mentor for the rest of them.

  But Lance is being unfair. Shiro’s had a lot happen in the past few years, between the six months he and Matt and Sam Holt disappeared that they all still have no explanation for, and then losing people, if in a far less dramatic way, only a few months after he got back. That one hurt for all of them, of course, but Lance guesses it probably shook Shiro up the most. Add all of that to being in charge of the mission that could end this war, and Lance can see why Shiro’s nerves might be getting to him. it’s just … weird that it happened so suddenly.

  “You should keep working with your sword, with … certain members of our unit gone, we’ll need as many close and far range fighters as we can have on our quest to find Zarkon,” Allura answers him, stumbling over her words as she looks away from him quickly. Lance is pulled back from his worries about Shiro to their other most recent concern. With one less member, they all have to shift roles a bit, Allura more than anyone. Allura used to work purely as a healer and warper, though she’s come miles with her combative magic.

  Lance swallows, gaze growing tight as he glances in the other direction. They can’t worry about that now. What happened happened and besides, they always had one more member than most units. He guesses there wasn’t room for all of them, in the long run. Still, Lance has to admit their team doesn’t feel right without him. Lance takes a deep breath and glances at Allura out of the corner of his eye. “Do you think he’s gonna come back?”

  “There’s no way of knowing. He left of his own volition, and unless we need him … well, there wouldn’t be much of a point, would there?” Allura trails off, giving him a smile that somehow manages to be bright and stiff at the same time. Lance blinks a bit, because he guesses he never thought of it like that. He knows this is a war, but Lance always thought they were in it to protect the people who were important to them as much as they were the kingdom. Maybe that’s selfish of him, but Lance isn’t willing to sacrifice anyone he loves if he doesn’t have to. But not everyone thinks like that.

  “No, I guess not,” Lance mutters as he drops his gaze to the ground, kicking a rock with one foot. Allura nods before turning and walking down the path toward the record hall, likely to find a new bit of information on Zarkon or learn a new spell. They all need to be doing everything they can to end this war as quickly as possible. That’s the only way to protect people now, especially from themselves.

* * *

  Hunk casts another spell, practicing his magic far from where it could touch anyone else, trying for an entrapment spell on the enchanted dummy. It’s a new creation of his, and he doesn’t want to accidentally turn Lance’s legs into jelly or Matt into a newt or Shiro into well, Shiro hasn’t been in the mood to help him train lately. It’s strange, given that Shiro is the one who insisted on giving him combat training, but Hunk guesses he’s just busy with all the planning for how they’re going to find and take down Zarkon.

  Not that Shiro is sharing any of those plans with them, waving off questions about what this mission will entail beyond a few villages they’re checking out on the way. Well, not so much waving as coldly brushing Lance and Allura off by telling them that he’s the leader and what he says goes. Hunk feels like Shiro used to be … friendlier, more open to suggestions even if he did have final say. But then, he was also always kind of stubborn and maybe Hunk is remembering their training with rose-colored glasses. It’s hard to know and he doesn’t really want to think about it anymore.

  Which is why Hunk grins when he sees Pidge running over to him through the thick grass, waving one hand excitedly through the air. Hunk grins over at her, because some quality mechanics and magic time is just what he needs to get out of his head and stop worrying about things he’s pretty sure he’s not going to solve right now. “Hunk! Want to make something together? A cursed sword maybe?”

  “Yes! Let’s do that, maybe one that makes it so magic wielders are muted so Shiro and Lance and … just those two, though I guess Matt could use it to if he got over spears, can’t be taken down as easily,” Hunk points out thoughtfully as he rubs his chin, glancing out over the invisible battlefield they’ll all soon be on. Hunk can see it now, some Daibazaalan witch coming at Lance with his ox spirit flying through the air, but then the spell vanishing in thin air as Lance swings out the special sword he and Pidge made for him. it will cut down their injuries by half, at least. Maybe they can make Matt a spear too if they need to.

  “Right, and maybe we can make a shield with healing properties, that way we could use it too, and Allura,” Pidge mutters as she stares down at her own shield disdainfully, as though it’s failing her now. Hunk lets out a small chortle, running a hand over the front of her silver shield. It’s one of the strongest ones they have in Altea, and Hunk would know. He’s been apprenticing with the blacksmiths from Balmera since he was a kid, back when he thought that the war would end before he came of age. How naïve Hunk had been, the war only getting fiercer on both sides since he was a child.

  But if nothing else, Hunk got some awesome friends out of this deal, like the girl smirking in front of him, eyes twinkling as she imagines a new world only the two of them (with some help) can build. A safer world.

  “Right, a blessing and a curse, courtesy of team Punk,” Hunk tells Pidge with a knowing grin, reaching out a hand in front of her. Pidge returns his smile with a bright one of her own, meeting his hand in the air in a high five. Together, they’re going to make Altea have the most protected and most powerful army around. That way, no one has to get hurt. Well, no one but the Galra empire, and maybe now that it’s fracturing into factions, it will be easier to just take people prisoner instead of hurting them. Then they can just send everyone home once they find the dragon Zarkon and defeat him or something. Hunk hasn’t thought through the details yet.

  “Right in time to find and take out Zarkon,” Pidge says with a smirk, eyes glowing with a determination that reminds Hunk of … other people. Hunk pushes the thought aside, because things can’t go back to normal until the war is over. If they can even, then. For all Hunk knows, Marmora is better than Altea, has more trees and places to draw or sword fight. It’s not like he’s ever been outside of Altea. Not until tomorrow, anyway, when their unite finally graduates to actually doing missions, missions where they might all be killed or be responsible for someone else being killed. Hunk’s real excited.

  “Right,” Hunk murmurs softly, staring over at his house with a sense of wistfulness even though they haven’t left yet. Pidge bumps his shoulder, raising an eyebrow as she follows his gaze with a bemused look. Hunk guesses he’s a little more obvious than he thought. “No, nothing! I just, do you ever – do you ever wonder why it has to be us, out of everyone in the kingdom who has to track down and take out a dragon? Outside of Shiro, we’re all kind of amateurs.”

  “Expertise level didn’t matter for my dad, even if he’s fine now” Pidge reminds him in a tight voice, fingers tensing around her staff. Then Pidge shakes her head rapidly, closing her eyes for a moment as though to remind herself that her dad is back, safe and sound and already back to his work. “Look, I get it, I’m scared too, but I need to find out what happened to my dad and Matt, and why the dragon took them in the first place. Plus, everyone in the country needs us for this. Why doesn’t really matter.”

  Hunk winces a bit, shaking his head and sighing when his bangs tickle his nose. He needs to cut his hair. Maybe Hunk can do that when he gets back from what’s ahead. He knows this mission is important, maybe the most important one of the entire war effort. That’s a big part of why he’s so nervous. That and well, Hunk had a dream of what his life would be, and it looked … different than this. “No, I know! I want to help everyone and help you, I just … you know. I thought I’d be a blacksmith in the village and live in a cottage with my family and Lance. Maybe a cat.”

  “You can still do both of those things after we save the world,” Pidge tells him with a slight smile, gaze growing a bit softer as she bumps shoulders with him. Hunk bumps her shoulder back, grinning a little even as his stomach is still a jumble of nerves. If nothing else, at least Lance and Pidge will be with him on this mission. “Besides, think of how much better you’ll feel being a blacksmith when there’s no threat of war at all.”

  “Yeah, I guess that’s true,” Hunk answers her in a slightly more hopeful voice, though he can’t help glancing back at their village one last time before they head toward the stables. They ride out in a few hours. Maybe they’ll get lucky and Zarkon will be at the first village.

* * *

Lance rides up the hill, running a hand through Blue’s mane as they come to rest on top of the hill together. Blue is Lance’s horse, has been for three years since he first started training with one, and he’s glad she’ll be on his side for this journey. Lance is scared, not that he wants to admit that out loud, but he’s happy he’ll have all his friends by his side. Hunk with his brilliant mind and even wiser heart, Pidge with her genius and loyalty, Allura and her devotion to ending the war and kindness, Shiro and his (okay maybe invisible right now, but still there) patience and warmth towards them, and …

  No. that’s everyone. Anyone else Lance cares about is someone he has to fight to protect now, just like they’ll do for him wherever they are. Lance knows their mission and he knows everyone else on the Coalition’s, and he knows everyone will do their best with the work they’ve chosen. All Lance can ask of himself is the same.

  Except he asks more, if he’s honest with himself. As much as Lance loves and admires his friends, he’s always worried he doesn’t quite live up to them too. Everyone else is so skilled, so uniquely talented, and even though Lance was chosen for the team, he doesn’t always feel like he lives up to his friends. He hasn’t told any of them that. Well, he kind of told someone, but not exactly in those words and then well. They had to leave, so it doesn’t really matter if they know or not anyway. They can’t solve those problems for him anyway.

  “I got to admit, you look pretty good in that armor. Very heroic,” Lance calls as he sees Hunk ride up the hillside, the light hitting his gold armor and making it glow softly. Lance knows Hunk is afraid of going to war, that he’s doubted being more than a blacksmith or a magic user in the village since he first got recruited when they were just kids.

  But Lance knows that the war, the people hurt by it, need someone like Hunk on the front lines. He’s brilliant and cautious, and he cares so much about people and helping them. they need someone who will do their best to keep them all safe and them give them supportive, warm smiles afterwards. Lance can do that too, but not as well as Hunk and not with as much magic.

  “Thank you, Lance, have to say you look pretty badass yourself,” Hunk drawls as he gives him a quick once over. Lance glances down at his own outfit with a small smirk. Lance has to admit that the lightweight blue chest plate and shoulder pads look pretty cool. It’s certainly an upgrade from his training armor, heavy and with no personality. He’s a little worried about the sleeveless part, but that’s how all the bow knights dress and … most of them are fine. Lance glances down at his arms, following Hunk’s gaze to the grey gloves resting on his hands. “And I see you’ve joined me and Shiro in the fingerless glove club.”

  “Well, gotta keep my palms nice and soft while I’m wielding Azure here,” Lance says as he gestures to the sword strapped to his back, next to the more familiar arrows. His bow is called Cerulean, and Lance figures giving the sword a name within the family might make it feel more like it’s really his. Hunk lets out a quick chuckle, as though he doesn’t call his own staff Yellow because of the stone on top. Then Lance grins, leaning in to rest a hand on Hunk’s shoulder. “After all, they touch a lot of precious things.”

  “That was cheesy, even for you,” Hunk scoffs softly, but Lance can see the laughter at the corner of his mouth and in his gaze. Lance joins in after a moment, because yeah it was, but who can he work his lines out on, if not his best friend? Then Hunk frowns, eyebrows scrunching together as he looks over at Lance. “Lance? Are you nervous? About this mission, I mean?”

  “Well, as you know my nerves don’t get to me that often, but yeah,” Lance admits with a small chuckle, though it’s a little shakier than usual. Hunk joins in after a beat, sounding just as anxious as he runs a hand over his staff carefully. Lance shrugs a little as he tightens a hand on Hunk’s shoulder, the other brushing across his horse Blue’s flank soothingly. He’s pretty sure she’s nervous too. “I mean, this is the longest any of us have ever been away from home, or it will be. And I won’t even get to see what Marco comes up with for his next play.”

  “Maybe someone can magically record their memories in the hall for you,” Hunk throws out with a slight grin, cocking his head over to the path to their village. Even the clock tower is out of view now. Then there’s a sudden clink, the sound of swords flinging through the air and clinking against each other. Lance meets Hunk gaze, both of them gulping in unison. “Did you hear something? Please tell me you didn’t hear anything.”

  “No, I definitely did, and Shiro and the others are still at the base camp,” Lance points out as he glances over the other way to where they decided to stay for the night. They got sent out on the first watch, and it will take at least half an hour to get back to base camp by horse. That isn’t time that they have with these troops approaching, and it’s not safe to bring them anywhere near the village anyway. He and Hunk have to handle this by themselves. Lance guesses this is what Shiro meant by learning on their feet.

  “Right, let’s get to higher ground then, might as well not engage unless we have to,” Hunk throws out as he squints over toward a nearby hill, a small patch of trees on top of it. Lance nods quickly, grabbing onto Blue’s reins and sliding across her back.

  “Okay buddy, we’re going to have to split up, you head to the left and I’ll head to the right,” Lance tells him quickly, glancing over at the oncoming soldiers nervously. He starts riding up toward the hill, raising an eyebrow in surprise when he sees Hunk using a wind spell to float himself up toward the mountain. Lance guesses his sword isn’t the only new toy their team has going for them. Hunk gives him a nervous smile as he floats by him and Blue, giving the horse a quick pet.

  “Okay, but be careful and don’t engage with your sword unless you have to, okay?” Hunk whispers as he starts to reach his staff out, glowing faintly in the setting sun. Lance nods, giving Blue a gentle kick until she starts galloping up the hill, Lance bringing her to a stop as they come to stand in a patch of trees on the right side of the higher hill. Hunk lands down on the other side, staff held out and glowing brightly against the setting sun, like a star just for them. Lance tries to believe that’s a good omen as he holds out his bow, arrow carefully aimed at a nearby mage.

* * *

  “Lance, watch out for a mage on your right,” Hunk calls as he shoots out a burst of flames, sky filling with red and orange swirls that would be terrifying from anyone else but himself. Honestly, they scare Hunk too, even from himself, but at least he knows that he can control those flames. Knows that especially as the fires surround but don’t quite touch the soldiers, making them rush backward. He can’t tell from here if they’re zombies or not, but Hunk isn’t going to take any lives if he doesn’t have to this early on in a fight.

  “Got it, thanks Hunk,” Lance calls back as he glances over at Hunk with a grin, hands still cocked on his bow. He shoots off his arrow, hitting another soldier square in the arm, the soldier letting out a strange cry as it falls back with a burst of purple light. Zombie army it is. no worries then, they’ll be freeing these pour souls with every hit, soldiers raised from their graves by Zarkon. Hunk shapes a tiger spirit, the regal beast flying through the air as it knocks a zombie sniper to the ground. “And might I say that Tiger spirit of yours is extremely regal?”

  Hunk returns the smile with a wide one of his own, waving his seal in the air in a way that makes lance flinch back nervously. Hunk raises an eyebrow pointedly (even though they’ve all come pretty close to accidentally hitting each other with their weapons in training) and Lance gives him a sheepish smile, before suddenly turning his gaze back to the battlefield. Oh, right. “Thanks, I’ve been working on it a lot – whoa, they’re getting closer!”

  “I can see that!” Lance snaps back as he shoots off another arrow, aim perfect despite the tension Hunk can in his friend’s shoulders. The zombies are moving faster than normal, apparently the magic used to create them having advanced in the past few months, which is really great. Just what Hunk wants for his first mission. A few of them are already dashing up the hill, swords and bows drawn as they lunge toward the two of them, outnumbered about six to two at the moment. This is bad.

  “Lance watch out, there’s a guy on your right,” Hunk tells him quickly, voice rising as he shoots off an Ox spirit at the closest Sky Knight. He hopes it doesn’t hit the pegasus, he hates when that happens, even if the pegasus is probably a zombie too.  Lance’s arrow glides through the air, hitting the zombie square in the chest. Hunk lets out a sigh of relief as he watches it melt into purple smoke.

  “Got him, watch the center field, I think he’s the leader, or as much as zombies can have one,” Lance whispers loudly, sticking a finger out at a bald man in the center of the field, brown eyes gleaming as he lifts up his sword. He’s moving even faster than the others, heading straight up the center of the field, just out of range of Lance and Hunk both. They’re getting smarter too. Hunk focuses his magic on two dagger wielding zombies in front of them, one zombie hitting the ground the moment his ox hits her.

  The other fight is a little harder, her fire and the ox battling it out in the air. They smack against each other in the air, flames shooting out in the air as the Ox slowly starts to overcome her flames. Two down, only a few zombies left to go. He and Lance can do this!

  “Got it,” Hunk answers with a nod before he’s suddenly swept off his feet, and not in the way he’d like to be. The sky knight has literally grabbed him one arm, pulling Hunk on the back of his zombie-horse. Hunk gives the horse a harsh glare, because he can’t believe they would turn on him like this after Hunk protected them. Hunk pulls out his staff trying to angle it, so it can hit the sky night with a gust of wind and have the same magic carry him to his feet. The first spell manages to shake his balance, but it’s not enough to defeat the knight, who throws a knife at Hunk, just barely missing the side of his head.

  Lance meanwhile is shooting arrows at a rapid speed as he runs backwards, eyes wide as he almost falls back onto the ground as one of two other remaining zombies throws daggers at him with an aim that’s always as good as Lance’s. Since when are the zombies this good? “Hunk, a little help here!”

  “Lance he’s out of range for me too – whoa, how is he moving so fast?” Hunk calls back as he watches their leader flip through the air like he weighs nothing, his only relief that Lance’s arrow finally struck the man with the dagger and slowed him down for the moment. Lance turns to re-center his bow, when the leader suddenly goes from several feet away from the other boy to right in front of him, sword gleaming in the moonlight. “Lance!”

  Lance grabs for his sword, but his blade is only half out as the other man’s sword comes crashing down, swift and merciless as it flies through the air. Hunk winces as he dashes toward him, wind smacking the knight in the face and finally knocking him off his force. Still, Hunk’s too far away Lance is going to be – not fit, as another, stranger shaped sword blocks his, someone swiftly diving in front of Lance and then twisting around to hit him free arm with a small dagger in his hand. Wait, ambidextrous?

  The stranger, hair tied back in a small ponytail with black and messy hair, flips around, pulling the leader away from Lance as their swords keep slashing against each other. A few seconds later the stranger lunges forward, pushing his sword through the bald man and leaving him nothing more than a cloud of purple smoke. The stranger’s eyes glowing with a mixture of worry for them and sheer exhilaration from a good fight. Violet-grey eyes, and suddenly even without his mouth or nose, Hunk knows who he’s looking at with no shed of doubt. Lance does as well, voice rising as he holds up his bow, eyes wide with shock as he stares over at the two men sword fighting. “Keith?!”

  “Sorry I’m late guys,” Keith says as he pulls his black mask down for a second, revealing a cocky smirk Hunk hasn’t seen in far too long for a second. Lance takes a few step forwards, eyes still wide even as he cracks into a small, hopeful smile. Then Keith’s smirk slowly shifts into a crooked smile, gaze awkward and unsure and all too familiar. It’s like Keith hasn’t changed at all since he left for the Blade three months ago.

  Then, suddenly Keith launches forward, wrapping them both in a tight hug, a little stiff but still more open than before he left. Okay, not exactly the same, but Hunk has to admit this is pretty nice.


End file.
